'Ond JG' by Victor Vasarely is a featured artwork in the 'Vibrations' exhibit. / Special to the Register

Blues guitarist Zito back in D.M. with new band

St. Louis blues guitarist Mike Zito brings his new band The Wheel to The Gas Lamp. Zito has been playing Des Moines for years, but this is his first time back since recruiting Des Moines native Scot Sutherland on bass. Zito also is the co-founder of the Royal Southern Brotherhood, which also features Cyril Neville, Devon Allman, Charlie Wooton and Yonrico Scott.

Celebrate optical art at Op-Arty Party

Can’t get enough of optical art? Cele­brate perception-distorting art at Art Noir’s Op-Arty Party. DJ John Solarz will perform, and there will be a cash bar available. Party-goers will be able to make their own interactive optical art and take a guid­ed tour of “Vibra­tions,” the exhibition that served as inspiration for the Op-Arty Party. Dress in optical art-inspired attire, like stripes and polka dots.

Court Avenue hosting party

To celebrate the fans in town cheering on their favorite contenders at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, Court Avenue Brewing Company is hosting a street party. There will be an Iowa Craft Beer tent on-site featuring beer from 11 Iowa breweries and a Templeton Rye speakeasy trailer. Food will be provided by Catering DSM and Gusto Pizza Co. Thursday, The Snacks plays at 2:30 p.m. and Oreo Meatwagon plays at 8 p.m. Tony Bohnenkamp (2:30 p.m.) and Burning Down the House (8:30 p.m.) play Friday, and Decoy (2:30 p.m.) and Pie in the Sky (8:30 p.m.) play Saturday.

Social Club presents two absurd plays

7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at the Des Moines Social Club at The Kirk­wood, 400 Walnut St. $14-$20. www.desmoinessocialclub.org

Things take a turn for the absurd this week with a double bill of Eugene Ionesco’s “The Bald Soprano” (1950), about a zealous firefighter, and Harold Pinter’s “The Dumb Waiter” (1957), about two hit men who wait in a grubby basement for their next assignment.